During the campaign, city officials said the tax hike would address persistent budget deficits. Los Angeles faces a $200 million shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The new tax would have raised about that amount annually.

Like many cities, Los Angeles is struggling to recover from a dramatic drop in revenue since the Great Recession while coping with rising pension and healthcare costs for its employees. Since 2009, L.A. has eliminated more than 5,000 jobs, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said.

Wendy Greuel Campaign/Eric Garcetti campaign

As expected, Controller Wendy Greuel and Councilman Eric Garcetti were the top two finishers in Tuesday's primary. The two will be in the May 21 runoff.

Two politicians who once served together as leaders on the Los Angeles City Council will face one another in the May 21 runoff for mayor.

Early Tuesday, with
100 percent of the votes counted
, Eric Garcetti garnered the most votes among the field of eight candidates with 33 percent of the vote. City Controller Wendy Greuel followed close behind with 29 percent. The results mirrored what both poll and fundraising numbers showed for months – the councilman and controller remain neck-and-neck.

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Grant Slater/KPCC

Voters in dozens of municipalities across the Los Angeles region went to the polls Tuesday to vote for mayors, council members and other city offices.

Outside the big contest in Los Angeles, four mayoral seats were up for election, but only one was competitive, in Redondo Beach where Steve Aspel won the office.

Pasadena voters cast ballots in three council districts, but only the Third District in the central part of the city had multiple candidates. In that race, businessman John J. Kennedy outpolled activist Ishmael Trone by 55% to 38%. Kennedy will replace longtime councilman Chris Holden, who won an Assembly seat in November.

Grant Slater/KPCC

Volunteers man the phones in the final hours of the race for mayor at Emanuel Pleitez's headquarters in Boyle Heights.

Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich greets the crowd during primary election celebration at Rocco's Tavern in Studio City on Tuesday night. With the first round of votes counted, Trutanich was in second place with more than 30 percent of votes.

Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Field coordinator Jason Maruca, supporter David Shaby, and field coordinator Melissa Jacobs check the first update of primary election results during a primary election celebration at Rocco's Tavern in Studio City on Tuesday night for Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, who is seeking a second term.

Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Sonja and daughter Reagan Conner of Arkansas look at their cell phone as Rocco's Tavern is turned into a celebration location for Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich on Tuesday night.

The two mayoral candidates who have been neck-and-neck in the polls continued their fight to be first by both giving their election night speeches just as the 11 p.m. TV newscasts hit the airwaves.

Garcetti and Greuel surely created a headache for news directors who had to decide where to go first. NBC4 went with Greuel, who thanked all four of her opponents for their efforts and for withstanding 42 debates.

NBC4 then switched to Garcetti in mid-speech, just in time to hear him criticize the independent groups that are spending millions on Greuel's behalf.

— Oscar Garza

11:01 Garcetti party heats up

The Avalon in Hollywood is packed now with Eric Garcetti supporters. Near the stage, a former California Supreme Court justice and playwright are standing near a neighborhood activist from Watts.

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Frank Stolze

It is Election Day in the Southland.

Good morning, readers. Welcome to the Maven's Morning Coffee -- a listing of the important headlines, news conferences, public meetings and announcements you need to know to fuel up and tackle your day.

Despite all of the debates, TV ads and mailers, the Los Angeles Times says the mayoral race is light on details for the city's future. In addition to the top job, Angelenos will vote on controller, city attorney and eight city council seats. "The leadership turnover is the most sweeping since term limits took effect in 2001," writes The Times.

About the blog: Represent!

Represent! is your eye on how well government serves citizens and the public interest in Southern California. KPCC's politics and government team posts frequently on transparency, civic engagement, reform efforts and accountability. We invite your comments and suggestions — follow us on Twitter at the links below.